Economizer



Jan- 9, 1951 R. H. HIEGER ET AL 2,537,347

ECONOMIZER Filed Deo. 4, 1948 24 zo I .2f` r /Z 32 s4 2o- 7490 f3@ 94 2@ 7e 52 ,53 V 3 F' 1 a J l 7 8 www so s2 /4 sev a 4l) /94 l 92 96 .Fg-9v Z. Se 4e I l 72 65 7e s l a2 a ai 83 80 QQ 30 III 7o 54 j s/ INE/ENTORS 50 $2 A Obert H. l-vleqef^ 4 TTOPA/E Y.

atented Jan. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT oFElcE ECONOMIZER Robert H. Hieger and orville o. Keller, Detroit, Mich.

. Application December 4, 1948, Serial No. 63,598

, This invention relatesto carburetors for interuum in the intake manifold to increase the rate of fuel supply to the main nozzle, and thereby enrich the fuel-air mixture, when the throttle is in or near its fully open position. Such device is necessarily subject to leakage, which may result in drawing excess fuel into the induction passage at times when it is not wanted, thereby unduly enriching the mixture, with loss of gasoline economy.

Leakage through the economizer may result from a leaky diaphragm, which permits fuel to ow through the vacuum line to the induction passage. It may also result from defective operation of the economizer valve, either because cf wear due to vibration or because corrosion or the presence of foreign matter such as grit preventsv it from Seating properly.

Defective operation of the economizer may also result from a defective spring. Thus, if the economizer valve is designed to open at a suction in the manifold of, say, seven inches of mercury, it may open at a lower or a higher suction, causing either a waste of fuel or faulty operation of the engine.

Defective operation of the economizer is dinicult to detect, since commercial carburetors are so constructed that it is impossible, without removing` the economizer from the carburetor, to

"apply a measured amount of suction tothe fuel outlet thereof and to the vacuum connection, and

measure the resulting fuel flow, Also, if leakage is found or suspected, it is difficult to remedy by means of ordinary sho-p tools.

An object of the present invention is t provide a carburetor comprising economizer mechanism having improved means for preventing leakage of fuel therethrough.

A further object of the invention is to provide an economizer wherein the check valve is readily replaceable land which will not often get out of proper working order.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carburetor wherein the eco-nomizer may readily be withdrawn for testing, cleaning and adjustment.

.A'furtherV object of the invention is to 'provide 4 Claims, (Cl. 261-69) ,an economizer which does not depend upon manifold suction acting upon the diaphragm to retain the economizer valve closed, but wherein a spring closes the Valve whenever the manifold suction increases to a critical value.

A further object ofl the invention is to provide economizer mechanism which is usable in known types of carburetors in substitution for the corresponding mechanism originally ,supplied with the carburetor.

A further object is to provide an economizer not mechanically connected to the acceleration pump and wherein all of the parts are contained in an assembled unit which can be installed in the carburetor as such, and can be removed from the carburetor and testedas a unit.

Further objects and advantages of the invenl tion will be apparent fromrthe following description,` taken in connection with the appended drawing, in which: I

Fig. l is a diagrammatic View of a Carburetor and the fuel system thereof, showing, o-n an enlarged scale, `the device of the present invention incorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the economizer unit and its associated parts. Y

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application t0 the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being Also it is to be understood that the phraseology ol' terminology employedv herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

The carburetor shown in the drawing is of the downdraft type commonly used' with automobile engines, but-maybe of any known or suitable construction. It comprises a body 8 forming -any induction passage which includes an air inlet IIJ, a main venturi I2, and a mixture outlet I4 designed to be connected to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, 'not shown.`

The induction passage is controlled in the usual mannerrby a manually operated throttle valve I6. Usually an air cleaner, such as is indicated fragmentarily at I8, is connected to the air inlet.

Fuel is supplied to the induction passage from a reservoir 20, which in the example shown is a float chamberhaving a float 22 therein, which actuates a fuel valve 2li` controlling a fuel inlet 26 leading from any suitable source of supply. Thence the fuel flows through passages 28 and 30 to the main fuel nozzle 32, which discharges atV the throat of the main venturi I2. In 'the example shown, a second venturi 34 is provided to form a discharge member for the main nozzle. A metering orifice 36 'is provided in the passage 28, as is the usual practice, and an idle passage 31, of any suitable construction, leads from the passage 30 to discharge adjacent the edge of the throttle i6 when the same is in closed position. Suitable acceleration pump mechanism, as well as check valves, air bleeds, and metering -orices may be provided, las known in thefar't.

The economizer constituting the present invention comprises a body havingv a threaded portion 46 which is screwed into a threaded borein the bottom 48 of the oat chamber so that the entire unit may readily be removedwfrorm VVthe 'carburetor. The bottom 48 cooperates with `a cover plate 50, secured thereto by bolts 5|, to form a vacuum chamber 52 which is connected by va vacuum passage 54 to the induction passage of the carburetor at a point posterior to the throttle i6 when the sameis in closed position. The lower portion of the economizer body is 'flared toform `a recessed disk 56 the lower edge 58 of which is-spun inwardly to retain an annular member 60 having a central aperture 82. A 'flexible diabers 58 and 6D and -is subjected on Iits underside to the vacuum the .induction ,passage posterior to the throttle. rlhe diaplfn'agmrll is preferably formed of neoprene having a double coating of `Buna N, both materials. being highly resistant to :gasoline kand to acids and other impur-ities contained therein. The diaphragm 'is connected by Vany suitablecouplingii to a plunger E8 which Wardly. The bottom wall 48 oi the rfloat chamber is formed with anannular recess 80 which cornmunicates with radial. ports 8l iormedin the ,por-

tion'46 oi the economizer, and. thence with. an outf let passage 8-2 which is vconnected toy passage 3l) by a metering orifice -83.

A 'tubular mernber 4,-84 has an 4l'externally threaded sleeve. 185 Iwhich threaded into `Ythe lupper'end ofthe ,'portion, leakage between the two being prevented-by a gasket-86. Aboredplug 88 is threaded into the. upper end Yof, member :84,

. and a retainingl plug 89 -isrdriven intothe .bore of plug'BS, to serve as an adjustable-scatfor `a light :compression spring e!) which bears against .baliiii :to .retain the same on its seatZ until wunseated lby upward movement of the 4plunger 58. .Radial por-ts 9 4 connect the float fchamber 2li to the .interior'of member 284., whence fuel .flows through a port-95 to the interior of .the4 economizer body, and thence through ports tl., .passage 82, .and orice 83 to the main nozzle 32. Plug 89de provided with a relief port 9B which connects with the interior of fthe iloat-chamber, to permit val-ve 14 =to move freely.

In general, the fuel system in the carburetor ltust described functions in the same Imanner .as the fuel system `in known types of carburetors.

However, Ythe economizer mechanism .herein disclosed is particularly resistant to .factors tending yto cause leakage, since theball valve Til will Aordi- -narily beV made of a metal which is resistant lto `phrag-rn 64 has its. edges clamped between merncorrosion, and its spherical shape enables it to rotate on its own center to thereby distribute the wear over its entire surface and prevent the formation of grooves such as are often formed in needle valves and the like. Also, the ball will by its rotation often dislodge grit o1' other foreign matter which would otherwise lodge between the Valve and its seat.

lf aty any time there is a question whether fuel is leaking through the .diaphragm 611, or escaping past the valve 14 when the same is not raised from its seat by plunger E8, or if it is desired to test the functioning of the valve 14 under various degrees of suction, the entire economizer unit may .be unscrewed from the carburetor. Suction may then be applied to port 62 to draw the diaphragm 64 downwardly and permit the spring 98 to press the ball valve 14 against its seat 92. With the parts in this position, suction may be applied to ports 8i in such degree as would exist in passagei if the carburetor were in operation. Ii there is leakage past the ball lvalve 14 that fact will vthen manifest itself by release of the suction, as known in the art. Alternatively, the member .84 maybe unscrewed from the portion L26, a rubber hose may be slid over the sleeve 85, and suction applied to the rubber hose to determine whether there is leakage past ythe ball valve. Leakage in the diaphragm may be similarly detected by application of suction to aperture 62.

kif the economizer isfound not Vto Vbe'functioning properly, the diaphragm or valve may be replaced, or the spring 9U may be adjusted or replaced by a s'tiifer or a weaker spring, or .collar 15 may be driven up or down on plunger 68 to vary the force exerted 'by spring 18, increase of such force acting to counteract too great stiiness of spring '90. The economizer may then be replaced in the carburetor as a unit without disturbing its adjustment. The fact that ball valve 14 is held on its .seat only by the force of the light spring '99, .rather than by the .force of suction acting on the diaphragm 64, reduces wear vand distortion of the valve seat.

Although the invention vhas been described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it may be embodied in other 'forms within the .skill of artisans in this art, and is not limited except in accordance with the terms of the following v claims.

We claim:

v1. An economizer .unit for a carburetor having a fuel reservoir and a vfuel conduit leading'therefrom provided with a calibrated orifice; comprising a body designed to seat in an aperture in .the reservoir, a iuel passage in vsaid body bypassing said orifice, a .chamber in said body having a movable wall responsive to varying pressures in the chamber, a plunger connected to said movable wall to be moved thereby, a fuel valve having 'a ball valve member rotatably vmounted in lthe path of the plunger normally spaced therefrom .and closing said passage Abut movable by said plunger to open position, a spring vin said body urging said valve member to closed position, a partition separating said fuel passage from said chamber and actingas a stop to limit Ymovement `of the movable wall in one direction, a collar ad- A `justa'bly mounted onsaid plunger and cooperating with said partition tolimit movement of the mov- 4able wall in the other direction, and a .spring between said partition and said collar urging said .movable Wall in said onedirection.

`2. An economizer unit for a carburetor having a. fuel reservoir and a fuel conduit leading "therefrom provided with a calibrated orifice; comprising a body designed to seat in an aperture in the reservoir, a fuel passage in said body bypassing said orice, a chamber in said body having a flexible wall responsive to varying pressures in the chamber, a plunger connected to said eXible wall to be moved thereby, a fuel valve in said passage opened by movement of said plunger in one direction, a partition separating said fuel passage from said chamber and acting as a stop to limit movement of the plunger in said one direction, a collar on said plunger, and a compression spring seated against said partition and said lcollar and urging said plunger in said one direction.

3. The invention dened in claim 2, wherein said body is formed in two nested sections detachably threaded together, one of said sections being externally threaded to engage female threads in Said. aperture.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 'file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,909,389 Ball et al May 16, 1933 2,035,636 Chandler Mar. 31, 1936 2,038,206 Chandler Apr. 21, 1936 2,235,797 Carlson Mar. 18, 1941 2,313,258 Olson Mar. 9, 1943 

